Echo choss

I figure I better post about last week's climbing before this week's happens or I will never get around to it. Despite my rallying cry that we take advantage of our few weeks left of Black Mt before they close the gate, I went with some of the LA crew to Echo Cliffs on Sunday instead. Echo is SoCal's volcanic breccia (often referred to as choss) mecca. Aside from the cliffs' chossy nature, the climbing at Echo is generally quite fun and most routes have been climbed and/or glued into a more solid state. As an added bonus, Echo holds the largest concentration of sport climbs in the greater LA area, including a few very hard ones.

Jeff got his first sport climb and first lead simultaneously in the morning. Needless to say he was psyched.

Jeff Blum crushing 5.9




Later we headed to the Kamikaze Cave, which holds all the particularly steep (and most of the hard) climbing at Echo Cliffs. I fell off the top of a 4-bolt 13a called "The Gimp" three times in a row, and Steve sent on his last attempt of the day. I actually would not mind going back and sending some of the lines in the cave, which have fun, gymnastic climbing on good holds.

Sean from Ventura aaaalmost sending "Crash and Burn" (12d).



Although it was a short day and I didn't send anything, it got me kind of psyched for route climbing again, which is a good thing, since that's what I'll be doing in Israel in Decembuary. The plan for tomorrow is Malibu Creek State Park, which has great short sport climbs on rock that is similar to Echo, but much cleaner. I used to climb there almost weekly with Michael Reardon, and haven't been back since his memorial in August of '07, so I kind of look forward to reacquainting myself with the area.

I'll leave you with this beautiful view from the Kamikaze Cave at Echo Cliffs.

OK Corral

Yesterday seemed to be a high gravity day at Black Mountain, at least for Cory French, Jon the Brit, and myself. Maybe the McIntosh/Savage/Moore et al crew fared better, but the three of us who remained at the general OK Corral area for the day got legitimately spanked.

First after warming up we headed down to Morphic Resonance, a very tall and hard pure line a little down the hill from the main OK area. Cory, who had been very close on a previous visit failed to send the beast on this day as well, and I failed to even reach the third move.

I did have the privilege of sending this beautiful V3 to the right of Morphic, however. Bad sunspot photo courtesy of Jon.


After hiking back up to the OK Corral, we sessioned both Cosmos and OK Arete, which are actually just left and right variations of the same feature. All three of us failed to send either one, which is very strange, but I guess everyone has off days, even Cory French.

Jon on Cosmos


Cory on OK Arete


When we decided we'd had enough punishment, we hiked back up the hill a little ways to send train Gimme Some, another striking arete. Or at least that was our intention. Once again, none of us sent. After a few bad attempts, I surprised myself by getting through the majority of the problem and staring right at the thank god jug that indicates the end of the hard climbing, but right as I was firing for it my right foot popped and I found myself falling once again.

Jon, me, and Cory on Gimme Some.





In the end, although none of us sent anything harder than V4 yesterday, it was still a beautiful and fulfilling day in the outdoors with good friends. I've been sending a lot of cool and (for me) hard problems lately, so it's about time for some all out failure. I mean, we need the bad performance days to truly appreciate the good ones, right?

Majesty.


Only a few more weeks of Black before the Forest Service arbitrarily closes the gate. We'd better take full advantage.

For those interested in seeing how it climbs, Alex Savage has posted a video of Beowulf at his site: savageclimbing.com. Check out the sickness.

Today I finally sent Beowulf at the YMCA camp area of Black Mountain after three consecutive Sundays of work. After Anthony Tarascio's ascent a couple of days ago this makes mine the fifth, unless someone else snuck a send in there in the last two days, but I'm gonna venture to say that's not likely. Consensus grade seems to be V11, which I guess means it's the hardest thing I've bouldered, although when I actually sent it (third try today) it didn't feel super hard. I guess that's how redpointing works though. It is a power-endurance, or "resistance" as the Euros say, problem, with a pretty hard throw to a jug at move thirteen, followed by a topout on a very very tall, yet highly featured slab. If you are interested in hard problems in SoCal, Beowulf should most definitely be at the top of your list. I asked Maya's brother Alon if he wanted to lend me his fancy new video camera, but he did not, so you'll have to settle for a still photo of one of the cooler moves (which is also pictured several times in the last two posts.)


Afterward, I tried a heinous little sit start to a beautiful V2, then drove back to Boulder Basin, where I repeated Where Boneheads Dare (highball V5, but the crux is the second move) and attempted Buzz Saw, a V10 with some bad edges on the same boulder, which did not go down.

If anyone wants to go climbing anywhere next weekend, Black Mt, Malibu Creek, Boney Bluff or Echo, Horse Flats, Tram, literally anywhere in SoCal, I am SO down now that I am free of this project. PSYCHED.

more YMCA

I have been working 12 hour days on average here in LA, but I have still found the time to make it to the rock gym two nights a week and outside on the weekend. Today a group of us drove up to Black Mountain from LA and enjoyed a perfect day of bouldering. My main desire was to try to send the line Alex and Ian sent last week (see previous post), which Ian has dubbed Beowulf, and Maya thinks looks like an overhanging butt. On the way in, we stopped at group camp 4 and 5 to warm up.

Here are a couple shots of Michelle sending a nice crimpy warmup.



After a couple problems we got on Soul Snatch, which I tried during the Birthday Bash weekend, but greased off of repeatedly. Today the temps were much better than back in August, and both Steve and I were lucky enough to send this gem, with Spencer, Will and Jeff all coming very close too.





Then we drove up to the YMCA Camp area and met up with Ian, Alan, Alex, A.ron and others. Pretty much as soon as we got there A.ron got the probable FA of this little line.



Then Will, Jeff and Steve (who flashed in great style) climbed on Ghost Dog, the beautiful V8 highball I posted photos of last week. Here are some more shots of it.





Finally A.ron told me to get off the boulder and put on my shoes to climb on Beowulf and I started giving it some effort. Unfortunately, I did not send, but I easily completed the crux throw that I could not do last week and made several good links. Sent it in two parts with good overlapping linkage.

Two pics of Steve on the lower section of Beowulf.



Myself linking through the finish of Beowulf, or as Maya calls it, "the butt problem."






Next week the same LA crew plus some others are going to Bishop. I'll join them if I can, and if I can't perhaps I will get back to Black and send this all time classic problem.

YMCA Camp

Went up to Black Mountain on Sunday and met up with Ian, Bridget, Alex, Anthony and Nick. We started just a little way up the group camp road and then headed up to the YMCA Camp area. These areas of Black Mt, which are little traveled, hold seriously massive potential. I can't believe that I've lived in SoCal and Vegas for so many years of my life and never climbed there (though a decent amount at the Tramway) until A.Ron and Buck's birthday bash last month. I now realize just how much of a mistake that was.
Warming up at the YMCA area


There was an epic project up there that the whole crew had been working Saturday, and on Sunday Ian and Alex got the first and second ascents respectively. The beauty climbs out a cave on perfect incut crimps, busts a big move to a jug at the lip, and tops out REALLY high on good holds and a lesser angle. Pretty damn aesthetic if you ask me. I'd venture to say 4.5 stars. As of yesterday, Ian had not yet come up with a name.











Here is a classic called Ghost Dog, that Ian put up during the beginning of the summer I guess. It is around v8ish and also rather aesthetic and a little bit off the deck. A new school classic for sure, with a big move to a jug at the lip.




Going back next weekend, unless something serious happens to change those plans. So psyched.

This is a painting I recently finished for Las Vegas-based public relations firm Forte Creative Media, soon to be featured on the landing page of their website.



As much as I would love to crank out more paintings right now, I'm going to be working in LA for a couple of months, so I might be limited to drawings and prints. Prints are still cool though. Stay tuned for climbing shiz and art work.